The Most Honest Drivers In The U.S.

‘It wasn’t my fault.’ We’ve all said it (or at least thought it) behind the wheel. But just how honest are Americans when it comes to driving? With four out of five drivers saying that being honest while driving is just as important as being safe, how does that honesty hold up when we put drivers to the test? 

To find out, we got 4,100 US drivers to undertake an honesty test inspired by the honesty-humility trait of the HEXACO Personality Inventory. This is a globally recognized psychological model that assesses an individual’s tendency toward sincerity, fairness, and modesty versus their inclination for greed and manipulation.

We broke the test results down by state, age, and the car brand the motorists drive. We also asked respondents if they consider themselves to be honest behind the wheel, to compare perception to reality. 

The U.S. states with the most honest drivers

To find out where the most (and least) honest drivers are located, we asked motorists a series of scenario-based questions, from whether they would avoid a fine even if they knew they were at fault, to whether they would leave their contact details if they scratched or dented another car in a parking lot. Across the U.S., drivers appear to generally be pretty honest, with an average score of 61.05 out of 80 possible points. But which states lead the way? 

The top 10 U.S. states with the most honest drivers 

Idaho drivers top the list as the most honest in America, earning an average score of 63 out of 80 possible points on our driving honesty test. One of their strongest traits? Respect for others, especially when it comes to parking. Drivers in Idaho scored an impressive 4.8 out of five for avoiding spaces they’re not entitled to, such as disabled or family bays, even when no one’s watching. Close behind are Arizona (62.98) and Florida (62.49), where drivers also demonstrated strong moral compasses in scenarios like staying truthful if they were to get caught speeding. 

On the other end of the scale, Maryland places at the bottom of the ranking, with drivers scoring an average of 59.51 points. Motorists in this state rate themselves as safer than almost anyone else on the road, scoring 2.6 out of five for self-perceived safety. New York follows closely with 59.53 points, and Delaware (59.70), rounding out the least honest states in the ranking.  

Overall, honesty scores are remarkably consistent nationwide, as just three points separate the most and least honest states. It seems most drivers in the U.S. share similar moral standards, even if some states hold a slight edge. 

Where driver confidence outruns conduct 

If you ask someone if they’d consider themselves to be an honest person, the most likely answer is going to be yes. But self-perception doesn’t always match behavior, and our data shows that some states are more confident in their honesty than their test scores would suggest. To explore this perception gap, we measured the difference between how honest drivers say they are and how they actually scored. 

The top 10 U.S. states most confident in their honesty 

Note: Perception gap refers to the difference (in percentage points) between how honest drivers say they are and how they scored on the test (based on total possible points). 

Drivers in Mississippi show the biggest gap between what they say and how they actually score for honesty. While 97.8% of respondents consider themselves honest, their test results suggest otherwise, as there is a 22.6-point difference between confidence and conduct. This means drivers in these states rate themselves more than 20 percentage points higher than their tested honesty, a sign that confidence on the road can sometimes overtake conduct. 

Kansas follows closely with a difference of 21.7 points, and West Virginia takes third spot with a 21.3 point gap. 

Does honesty come with age? 

When it comes to honesty behind the wheel, experience does seem to count. Our data shows a clear trend: the older the driver, the more honest they are.  

Drivers aged 75 and over top the list with an average honesty score of 66.87 points, with the score steadily dipping as drivers get younger. Nearly nine points separate the scores of those aged over 75 and drivers under 25, suggesting that honesty is slightly lower among younger motorists. 

Interestingly, while younger drivers rank lowest for honesty, they are confident in their abilities: many consider themselves safer than almost anyone else on the road. 

Who owns up after a parking lot bump? 

To help shape our honesty test, we asked drivers how they’d respond to different driving scenarios. One of those was whether they would leave a note with their contact details if they accidentally scratched or dented another car in a parking lot. Although it can be tempting to drive off if no one’s around to see, which states are most likely to do the right thing and leave a note? 

The top 10 U.S. states most likely to leave a note (not just a dent) 

Oregon drivers are the most responsible, with nearly 86% saying they would leave their contact information in such a scenario. Drivers in Maine follow closely at 85.45%, with Hawaiians not far behind at 85.11%.  

But if you’re wondering who is most likely to drive off, Oklahoma takes that honor. Nearly one-fifth (19.10%) admit they wouldn’t leave a note if they accidentally hit or scratched someone’s car. New Jersey (17.98%) and Nevada (16.67%) also rank among the least accountable drivers. 

It can be stressful if you accidentally hit a parked car, but even minor scrapes can cause more damage than you think. While laws vary by state, leaving your details after an accident isn’t just courteous; in many places, it’s a legal requirement. And if your car does end up with extensive damage, it can be worth exploring selling the vehicle for salvage. 

The least honest motorists drive these car brands 

We’ve seen how honesty varies across states, but what happens when we look beyond geography? Does the car you drive give any indication of honesty? The results suggest it might. Some brands’ drivers scored noticeably lower on honesty, admitting they’d be more likely to make excuses or avoid responsibility when things go wrong. 

The top 10 U.S. car brands with the least honest drivers 

Our data shows that MINI drivers score the lowest in our honesty test, with an average score of 57.31 (out of 80 possible points). These drivers are especially likely to try to avoid a penalty or fine, even if at fault.  

Drivers of Acura, the luxury and performance vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Honda, takes second place with a score of 58, and Volvo drivers follow closely at 58.79. 

On the flip side, Mitsubishi drivers are named the most honest, with an impressive score of 64 points. Other brands among the most honest motorists are Infinity (63.29), Lincoln (63.12), Mazda (62.91), and Jeep (62.32). 

The car brand drivers most likely to make excuses for speeding 

Many people might be tempted to drive over the speed limit if they are running late or generally view speed limits as suggestions. We dug into the data to see which car brands are most likely to make excuses if caught speeding instead of owning up. 

More than half (52.94%) of Tesla drivers surveyed admit they’d try and get out of a ticket, the highest percentage out of all drivers analyzed, followed closely by Volvo drivers with 47.06%. MINI drivers rank third-most likely (43.75%), which may not come as a surprise, given their standing as the least honest car brand drivers overall. 

However, it’s important to remember the speed limit is a limit and not a target. It seems that when the pedal hits the metal, honesty sometimes takes a back seat. 

From parking lot scrapes to speeding tickets, our data shows that plenty of drivers are willing to bend the rules. But many still believe honesty matters. In fact, nearly two-thirds (64%) disagree that it’s ever acceptable to break the rules of the road, even if no one is hurt.  

Methodology:  

To identify the most honest drivers in the United States, we created a custom “Honesty Test” inspired by the Honesty–Humility trait from the HEXACO Personality Inventory – a well-established and globally recognized psychological model. 

The test was adapted to driving contexts, presenting 16 real-life driving scenarios designed to measure how truthfully and ethically respondents said they would behave in various situations (for example, reporting an accident, fair parking behavior, or honesty with insurance claims). 

Each question was rated on a five-point scale (1 = Strongly Disagree → 5 = Strongly Agree), with some items reverse-scored to control for response bias. The maximum possible total score was 80, where a higher score indicates a higher level of honesty and integrity behind the wheel. 

A total of 4,000 licensed drivers were surveyed in each U.S. state. The following states were excluded due to insufficient responses: Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Vermont, and Wyoming. 

To maintain data quality and ensure reliable results, any incomplete submissions (where one or more honesty-test questions were left unanswered) were removed from the analysis. 

The survey was conducted in October 2025. 

See the full honest rankings for every U.S. state below: